Control protocols in frame-based network perform control functions such as topology management, link aggregation, connectivity fault management, bidirectional flow detection, etc. Many network control protocols call for the transmission of control protocol messages to communicate control protocol information to other nodes in the network. Some control protocols require the transmission of control protocol messages at a specified fixed interval. Often times control protocol messages are required to be transmitted at the specified fixed interval whether or not there is any updated control protocol information to be communicated. For example, after an initial period of protocol convergence, control protocol messages are transmitted at regular intervals from a first peer entity to indicate to a second peer entity that the first peer entity is still alive.
Typically, network nodes are configured to recognize control protocol messages and to automatically provide the control protocol messages to a control protocol processor for protocol processing. The control protocol processor consumes resources processing each control protocol message that is received whether or not the received control protocol message includes updated control protocol information that may affect the protocol state. During steady state operation of a control protocol, many of the received control protocol messages do not carry any information that will change the control protocol state (e.g., the information carried in the control protocol messages only indicates that the peer entity is alive and that connectivity to the peer entity is not broken), yet valuable computing resources are consumed processing these control protocol messages.
In view of this, what is needed is a technique for managing protocol information that reduces the burden of processing control protocol messages that have no affect on the protocol state without negatively affecting the function of the control protocols.